"Oh wow! It's good to see you once again, King. It seems like ages since
we were last together, doesn't it?!" asked Mai in her ususally cheerful mood.

"Actually, Mai, it was about three weeks ago."

"Er, ah...so how's the
club going, girl?"

"Well you know, it'll have ups and downs. But I swear,
Ducky can be a bloody idiot at times. It can sometimes make doing business
with him a royal pain."

"I know what you mean!" said Mai between giggles,
recalling one of the first times she and Andy went to his new nightclub,
much to Andy's grief.

"Oh! By the way, how's Jan?"

King's pleaseant
demenor turned to stone at the mention of her younger brother. Jan had had
a long history of needing to be hospitalized. When she had worked for
Mister Big, money was never a problem. Now that she was in business for
herself, they could get on, but on occasion, when Jan needed medical
attention, money seemed to just vanish.

King was so deep in thought about her brother, she flinched as Mai put
her hand on her good friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry, King. I'm sure it
will all work out. If you need to, I think I can help. I'm sure that Andy
and Terry would love to help. And our two champs, Joe and Kim, they can do
a lot if asked."

"Thank you Mai. I often wonder about that boy. I wonder
at night, when I wake up, will he too? At times, I'd almost wonder how to
be able to raise the cash to take care of him. It seemed that each time I
got a little extra to treat him to something, it'd have to go for medical
expeneses. I'm glad he's still young and doesn't understand all this madness
...it gives him hope...and me! Excuse, I need to go talk with Ryo!"

"Sure! Hey! Whose watching Jan? You didn't leave him with..."

"...No!
He's with Yuri, Robert, and...say you didn't know our partner from '97 had
come for a visit!"

"No! I was...out of South Town for a while," and they
both laughed at what she had reffered to.

II

Elswhere, Terry, Andy,
Joe, Kim, Haohmaru, Ukyo, Hanzo, and Galford are all getting better
acquanited. Their topics, what their respective enemies could hope to gain
by this alliance, what their goals are, and how they are going to go about
it all.

"I tell you, if not all of it, most of it has to do with that
psycho, Ryuji Yamazaki. I mean, the guy's Orochi! He's also the one with
contacts in South Town, making it easy to find him for the likes of Geese
and Krauser."

"But Joe, we've overheard from some of his men. He was no
easier to find than any of the others. So why was he solely selected?"

Terry replied, "I can think of a few reasons. First off, Ryuji had been
rumored to bust into Geese's own office, all by himslef. Geese likes that
kind of attitude. Second, he's wild, but not as wild as his first Orochi
interest. Third, he has yet to experience the Riot of the Blood! With the
power he has now, and then adding the Blood Riot to that; that would be what
Geese would sell just about anything to have."

Hanzo asked, as is his
nature, "And what if he does `Awaken,' as you call it? What then?"

"I'm afraid it's more than just craze, Galford! Should
the Orochi awaken here, without the three clans to prevent it, all human
life could simply be erraticated!" replied Kim.

"Ouch! That could
seirously put a damp on our future!" stated Haohmaru.

"I agree! We must
figure out a way to deal with them. Let us not forget our foes, Amakusa and
Zankuro. Both seem to be as interested, if not more so in Orochi,"
concluded Ukyo.

III

Whilest our heros
wonder what our villians our doing, we shall go drop in (just be quiet and
don't let them find you. I can't bail you out if...)

"I still can't see
why we are having this Bloody tournament, Geese, I mean, boss! With all of
these snoopers around, and now with these new guys, we'll have to take
longer to work on our BIT project!"

"I'm well aware of that. However, if
we didn't have them where we could watch them, then they may be able to get
close enough to establish the truth. With the KOF, they will be more
focused on it, as well as trying to understand history as they help to
alter it. They will worry about what they do, for they are unwilling to
risk totally altering time. My associates and I, on the otherhand, are more than willing to risk it."

"Agreed, my dear Geese! They lack the vision, the intelligence, and daring
that men such as ourselves are willing to take. Now, while the fools attempt
to figure out what we are doing, we will go about our plans while the fools
all worry about who they are going to fight, as well as Ryuji. That was a
good call, inviting Yamazaki. It must have taken a lot to find them.
Orochis are near impossible to find."

"Yes. It took much time to find him.
I was almost tempted to try the other one, but I want some one who has, as
of yet, to be touched by the awkening. Orochi, yes, but not awkened yet is the key."

Amakusa then asked, "Why is it so important? What makes `Orochi' so
valueable? Come to think of it, I haven't heard of `Orochi!"

"Nor have I.
Tell us about this `Orochi,'" added the Demon, Zankuro.

Geesse, having more
knowledge in regards to the legends, began.

"It all began several
generations ago. There were three sacred clans. They were..."

"The
Kasnagi, Yagami, and Yata!" exclaimed Amakusa and Zankuro.

"So, THE DARK
POWER is what becomes called Orochi, interesting, very interesting,"
comments the Zankuro.

"Yes, indeed!" coos Amakusa, "This would
make the Ultimate Sacrifice, when the time comes! Such power, yet to realize
it's full potential. Oh, I'm so estatic. I must have died and went to Hell!"
and the four mad men in their quest for power fill the room with their
insane laughter, chilling all others to the bone.

IV

While elsewhere, the
very man they are talking about is recalling his head-to-head with the other
man they spoke of, Iori Yagami (see, I know the names)! Ryuji Yamazaki
plays through the twisted events that went through at the meeting, which was
ironically the day before Geese's men sought him out. If only Geese knew,
he had a chance to lure the deadly Iori Yagami into his fight, as well as
Ryuji Yamazaki.

"Argh! I sense another of The Bloodline! Whoever you are, come out, or
do you fear the great Iori Yagami! Don't think that because you are of The
Bloodline..!"

"I would hope not! That would make this no fun at all! I came
here to prove who is the most deadliest of our clan, and it isn't you!"

"You! You dare to challenge me!? Fool! You'll share Kyo's
fate!"

"Bring it on, loser! You can't defeat me! I don't lose myself in
combat, like you. The longer it goes, the harder it will be for you to
maintain control. When you lose control, you'll be dead!"

"You'll be
surprised at what I've learned since last time. I guess the only way we
find out is if we do it, and fast! Ready to die?"

"Bring it on!"

Now,
the two deadliest men go head-on, each intent on not only killing his foe,
but utterly destroying the other. Not fast, but slowly and with as much
pain as possible. Each wanted to break the others bones, damage internal
organs, and do every and anything short of maiming their foe!

This, of
course, would prove near impossible, even for one of their skills. Each was
experienced enough to know what to expect in a fight to the death, for they
had been in many (is it REALLY neccissary to say they won in their previous
fights to the death?). What's more, they had something none of their
death-match foes had, Orochi Blood! But Ryuji has yet to awaken. While
Iori's massacre victims rank higher than Ryuji's, some are when The Bloodline
had momentarily awakened. What would happen once Yamazaki's does? Could the
world take two power-hungry madmen, powered by perhaps one of the strongest
forces in our history?

"Vice, Mature! You two sluts would stop me from killing this Bastard! He
doesn't deserve the powers he's been given by his blood! Stand aside."

Instead, Mature faced Ryuji, while Vice faced Iori. Mature, who had orderd
them to stop, now gave Vice the floor.

"Have you idiots forgotten the
unwritten law of our clan. We shall not attack another of The Bloodline!
The only exception is during an Awakening, in which case all sense is lost.
Any foolish enough must accept the consequences. We did so, and we suffered.
Neither of you are in such a state, for you both would have already torn
our throats if you were. NO! You will both end this now!"

"Bah! I don't
need the Awakening to rip the throats of you Bitches! Ryuji challenged me,
and I accept. If you get in our way, you're part of the body count!"

Without waiting, Ryuji leapt forward, with a look he hadn't had since he
entered Geese's demanding his pay.

Then, he dropped, his hands on his
head. Blood dripped from his eyes, ears, and mouth. The others fell, and He
appeared!

"My children! I forbid ANY of you to fight amognst yourselves!"

Just as suddenly, he was gone.

Ryuji awoke, and let out a
blood-curling scream in pain, as blood dripped a second time from him. Those
that were near did not understand it's meaning. Those that did, didn't hear
it, but flet it's dark aura explode! No one had to ask who knew what was
going on.

Ryuji had just experienced a minor awakening. Yet this one
was much stronger than the last, as they always are. For a few rare
cases, it only takes once. For others, it takes several. As for Yamazaki...